Mind Is Not a Vessel to Be Filled, but a Fire to Be Kindled Essay

â€Å"Education† may be an ordinary word to most people, but very few actually understand the deep meaning beneath it. In this dynamic world, we need to be equipped with the necessary skills and hard work to survive. Understanding the education system is integral to allow students to understand the purpose of studying, the purpose of going to school everyday. Is education in Singapore really â€Å"holistic†? Are there flaws? What is education? By definition, it would be something along the line of â€Å" transferring knowledge†. I beg to differ. In my opinion, education consists of more than just knowledge. From Kindergarden to University, students are put through the daily routine of waking up early in the morning, going to a place where teachers teach â€Å"the same old stuff†. By that, I am referring to knowledge. Knowledge is power, you might say. Indeed, being knowledgeable helps you stand out among the rest during the tests and examinations. But is that all about education ? Acing the tests and getting a degree? I’m afraid no. Years after years, Singapore universities and institutions are well-known on the global front for being able to produce students with top grades. These results just keep getting better and better. Foreigners come to Singapore for education. Most people might therefore think education in Singapore is perfect. I also acknowledge that these are true, but only to a certain extent. On the other spectrum ( which is usually not shown), there are students who are not performing as well as their peers, students who are doing well but facing a lot of unnecessary stress. This is prevalent as well. The obsessive reliance of tuition to produce grades, online forums to discuss ways to â€Å"headstart my child in education†. I find no meaning in these. This is passive learning. Similarly, there are exceptional cases which bring out the ugly truth about education in Singapore. Students faking degrees to earn scholarships, jobs , graduates saying vulgarities during graduation ceremony to ‘rejoice’ over the achievements, even local scholar prosecuted overseas for doing unethical things such as watching child pornography. If education in Singapore is so perfect, why would such disgraceful incidents occur? Let us look at some possible reasons. Memorizing dictionaries, memorizing textbooks, doing thousands of assessment books, attending endless tuitions and supplementary classes†¦ These are some things most pupils in Singapore are going through. They have my sympathy. Everything I have described until now is about passive learning, which revolves around results and lacking in true meaning of education. Now, let us zoom into another aspect. Imagine this : a child who does his work consistently, revises on daily basis, reads newspapers everyday. Everything without being told. Seems like a utopian child? No. It is possible. The only thing he has compared to other students is the passion. The burning passion inside him to learn, to absorb knowledge. This drive pushes him to do everything on his own. There is no tuition, no supplementary classes, reasonable number of assessment books. Yet, this child is scoring ‘A’s for his subjects. In Singapore schools, Ministry of Education is encouraging a whole new approach towards â€Å"holistic† education. Co-curricular activities, Community Involvement Program, Civics & Morals Education†¦ these are programmes put in place after much effortful planning of the education ministries. There are even more recent policies such as not revealing top students for national examinations such as Primary School Leaving Examinations. I respect them for that. However, there are rooms for improvement. CCA, short for co-curricular activities, is a word that is often hung in the pupils’ mouth. Whether they say it out of pride in a good way or bad way, I do not know. This brings me to the point of CCA mismatch. Students who feel they are â€Å"not good enough† for a CCA only after a few years in that CCA, students who feel indignant as they feel they could have gotten into â€Å"better CCA†. What are the consequences of this? Students not attending CCAs regularly, students complaining about how ‘ sien ‘ ( boring and uninteresting) their CCA is. This leads to stereotyping about CCAs and split between different CCAs, especially Sports vs Non-Sports. While you might say it is good that CCAs are bonded together as a team, the purpose of bonding is wrong. They are making fun of other people and things they do. In the long run, this will not work. Another thing is when pupils do not attend CCAs, the school has no choice but to use deterrence methods such as demerit points. To tackle this whole situation, there is Direct- School- Admission put in place to reduce scenarios like this however the success is limited. After talking about limitations of the current education system put in place, I have some suggestions. What I will say is also something simple : passion. Again, a simple word yet deep meaning behind it. If a student is an active learner, problems such as late/no submission of work, lack of focus during lessons, loss of notes, game/social networking addiction etc will all be eliminated at once. Students will not complain ‘ Life is Tough’ or ‘ There is too much work yet too little time’ etc. Teachers no longer have to chase after the students for work, give students boring supplementary classes. Teachers no longer have to scold students, which deviates their focus on teaching that will result in drop in productivity. This will lead to more supplementary/remedial classes which make students get tired of learning. Ultimately, they lose passion in learning. This evil cycle of mad chase, forced homework, drilled practice will keep on going until the students change their attitude. If the students take charge of their own learning, they will automatically focus during lessons and give constructive feedback that can engage the whole class in a positive manner. This will accelerate learning so much that the teachers will be more willing to teach and even plan fun activities for pupils to play and learn at the same time. At the same time, the students will strive to do their best in everything including daily worksheet, assignments. Ultimately, success ( which is good grades people chase after) will follow them. Therefore, I strongly feel that passion is much more important than knowledge. To put this passion in them, I think teachers, parents and students themselves all play a crucial role to ‘kindle the fire’ within them. They can help create encouraging environment to allow pupils to share their opinions on certain topics and letting them think ‘out of the box’. They can reduce things such elitism stereotyping to encourage the pupils to exchange feedback healthily and letting them learn from one another. Occasionally, having useful motivation courses in schools by professionals also might help. Once this fire is lit, the action will follow. Students will start finding joy in learning and unknowingly, they will get good grades without even getting stressed or tired.

Pay System in Organizations Essay

Since last few years, companies and organizations have been formulating different ways to develop and design different payment methods on the basis of their performance depending on their particular organizational goals. This system, as Jeffery A Mello said, pay for performance programs reward to employees in the form of increase in salary on the basis of merit, bonuses, and stock options as for achieving the acquired performance levels giving due consideration to skills and competencies. Mello, 2006) These incentives motivate employees to increase their performance level increasing the competition spirit as well overall performance of the organization. Academy of Management Journal as on first February 1998 published an article ‘An empirical analysis of a skill-based pay program and plant performance outcomes’ by Brian Murray and Barry Gerhart. This academic article reported that around 51 per cent of the large companies were making use of the skill or knowledge based pay programs in small portions of their organizations. It was found that the traditional approach of payment takes into consideration only the main features of the work employees need to complete, whereas the pay programs based on the skills were bestowing rewards on the basis of the performance and work shown by the employees that they termed as â€Å"work-related attributes of employees. † (Murray & Gerhart, 1998, p. 68) By offering incentives to employees on their performance and showing their different traits like skills, capabilities and knowledge, organizations were able to divert the employees towards several opportunities they can avail of for their growth. By diverting the attention of the workers towards the skill based goals, organizations hoped to give more space to flexibility, reduction in the labor cost and increase in the product quality. Asian Business and Management journal reported performance-related pay systems in their article ‘Paying for Success: Performance-Related Pay Systems and its effects on Firm Performance in Japan’ by Dai Miyamoto and Junpe Higuchi, published in 2007. The paper showed the effects on the performance of the firm by the introduction of the performance-related pay (PRP) systems introduced at Japanese companies since late 1990s. The central point of the paper was to develop from the previous research process the fairness of the PRP systems instead of the introduction and another focus had been on the way there has been changing in the labor cost management. In the study, the most important finding has been the way the process of communication between the superiors and subordinates plays a role in bringing in improvement in the performance of the firms. Though at relatively large companies, there was seen reduction in the basic pay yet there has been increase in the correlation between performance and labor costs having a disincentive effect, but there has been much improvement at the performance level of Japanese firms through the process of PRP systems. (Miyamoto & Higuchi, 2007) Under this system, company’s strategic concept in Japan has been to reverse the traditional system of compensating employees, which takes age as well as the personal attributes as criteria as standard. Companies are now on large account preferring the skills and performance of the employees related to work for defining pay structure. From the provision of promotion, the system has been changed to the remuneration system. Companies aim to provide incentives on the basis of the strict performance appraisals thus intending to create a strong connection between performance and pay. Miyamoto & Higuchi, 2007) The strategic move by the companies to give the practical shape to the skill based payment system has its basis on two broad theoretical approaches-behavioral approach and operational approach. The skill-based pay system allows the organization to bring in the changes in the nature of the work creating a direct as well as indirect effect on the attitude or behavior of the workers. In the operational approach, the focus is on the process of scheduling in the production jobs and constriction on the flexibility of the labor assignment. As the main purpose of the skill-oriented pay system is creating an affect on the flexibility in the work force, the process could considerably reduce the effect on the labor constraints and permit for efficiency in production scheduling. (Murray & Gerhart, 1998) If we consider the short period, skill based pay system assumed to have a positive effect on the organizational outcome. To get such results, managers should realize that the payment system based on the skill should be a comprehensive human resource program and the results that could emerge are dependent on the way basic pay is fixed. The success of any policy is also dependent on the way resources are allotted and managed so as there is a provision for adequate training, certification appraisal and the way scheduling on the production level is managed and the complementary job design is fixed. Without following even any one of the policy or procedure could result in the lack of motivation among employees for upgrading themselves or it could also result in the rise in pay but without rise in productivity or quality. (Murray & Gerhart, 1998)

Afghan Wedding Tradition

Marriage in traditional Afghan culture has a deep-rooted process that is gradually rooted. Young men and women rarely have opportunities to meet and usually choose a future couple in a hurry. When a young man wants to marry a young woman from an unknown family, his parents first make some background checks on her trying to learn more about her morality, beauty and other family problems. If they are satisfied with what they find, their parents indirectly or directly understand and send a family related to the woman 's family or her home to disclose the proposal in a favorable situation I will. The story that Khadija and her three brothers got married is an explanation of war and tradition, which is disappointing for Afghans. It included the Afghanistan War in its most violent place, the South Herman Province, the Taliban home base, many of them torn apart by loyalty between government and rebel factions. This is also a story that women in traditional societies are fighting the lack of choice in their lives. In their Pashtun society, brothers believe there is an obligation to make their brothers widow - the widow has no choice but to protect children or their homes. According to past wedding traditions, many couples now choose to incorporate their religious or spiritual devotion into their wedding rings. There are many contemporary designs that will allow you to incorporate these traditions into your ring design. You can integrate cross, Rosario, star of David, scrolls, other spiritual or religious signs in the design of the wedding ring. Do not forget that your wedding ring is not necessarily very traditional. If you want traditional things, please use the regular diamond engagement ring and wedding ring set. But even if you remember the old wedding tradition, there are other types of wedding rings on the market if you want something unique to complement your style and flare.

Lack of Health Care for the Working Class Research Paper

Lack of Health Care for the Working Class - Research Paper Example However, despite dramatic increases in expenditures, inequities exist within the Medicaid system that limit distribution of health care resources and affect health outcomes. Employer-sponsored, private health insurance coverage has declined gradually since the late 1970s (Jacobson and Buchmueller, 2007). In 2010, the number of uninsured Americans approached 49.9 million (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010a). Two major trends are driving the decline: First, changes in the labor market, including the decline in manufacturing jobs, the increase in service-jobs, and the growth in temporary and part-time employment have produced more "benefit-poor" occupations. Second, declining real wages, combined with employer moves to shift rising health care costs onto employees via increased premiums, deductibles and copayments, has reduced the numbers of employees who can afford health care coverage and the extent of that coverage (Swartz, 2009). Working class and women are especially vulnerable to lack of access to employer-sponsored coverage, given the structure of private health care insurance. In the United States, individuals generally qualify for employer-sponsored health insurance plans in one of two ways; as workers in occupations where health insurance benefits are offered to employees, or as dependents or spouses of covered workers (Kim & Muntaner, 2011; Buchmeuller and Valletta 1999). Direct coverage, as workers, is now and has been limited for working class and women due to their historic and continuing concentration in the secondary sector of the labor market. That is, lower working class and women are more likely than others to be employed in the kinds of occupations that are becoming more prevalent and that are less likely to offer coverage; i.e. service jobs, non-unionized jobs, and part-time and temporary work. Indirect, or spousal coverage, though limited to women legally wed to men whose employers offer th e benefit, provides

Diversity at the work place Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Diversity at the work place - Essay Example ..........................................................................................................................5 Statement of the problem...............................................................................................................5 Literature review............................................................................................................................6 Findings .......................................................................................................................................10 Discussion.....................................................................................................................................12 Overcoming discrimination disability...........................................................................................15 Recommendations.........................................................................................................................17 Conclusion...................... ...............................................................................................................18 References .....................................................................................................................................20 Disability in the Workplace Abstract The issue of disability at workplaces has now taken a centre stage in many organizations and states for many years. Many governments have established policies, regulations and codes of conduct towards disabled individuals in terms of their involvement in organizational operations and responsibilities. As a result, management of companies have recognized the significance of implementing set policies on disabled individuals in their organizations. However, many disabled people in organizations across the world have been experiencing workplace discrimination based on their shortcomings. Disability discrimination is an illegal practice described by selective treatment of individuals with respec t to their physical abilities. Majority of the disabled individuals experience unfair treatment in the professional fields for many years. To date, some organizations have not completely gotten rid of the stigma. However, numerous organizations have implemented rules and regulations aimed at overcoming the disability in the workplace. Introduction Disability is a state of the body that limits the performance of an individual because of their physical or mental inability. A person with any physical or mental impairment or has a history of these conditions or is perceived to possess them is considered disabled in many organizations and countries across the world. Physical disability appears in many forms such as visual, hearing, mobility impairment, mental conditions such as autism and other chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy and asthma. Disability discrimination in the work place still exists today with many disabled workers facing unfair treatment from either the employers or the co-workers. The management of all organizations are required to prevent and discourage any form of discrimination against the disabled. Disabled employees may receive lesser job benefits as compared to other workers because of their physical or mental conditions. Such benefits include less pay, minimal tasks assigned, limited training and other fringe benefits. The disabled employees may also be put under hardship working conditions that include being assigned difficult tasks with respect to

Difficulties faced by residents of 'red light' districts in the UK Essay

Difficulties faced by residents of 'red light' districts in the UK - Essay Example Based on the statistics provided by the Metropolitan Police in London there are around nine boroughs in which prostitution on the streets occurs which actually causes problems to the local residents. In addition to this the Metropolitan Police Service did expose that there are almost certainly 800 saunas, massage parlors and escort representations in London in which almost 5,000+ women work and provide sex services.2 These women have actually been forced or victimized into prostitution.3 Actually street prostitution and connected drug activity can induce real agony for local residents. Of late politicians and police commandants are made more responsible to residents by the local CDRPs (Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships). Prostitution has now turned out to be a foremost trouble in the UK as individuals at a very young age involve themselves in the profession. This profession not only affects the individual involved but their family, children and the local residents are also af fected. Legalizing this profession would not be advantageous since the individuals who are involved will find it very hard to come out of the profession. Apart from this legalizing would also make it a tolerable alternative of occupation. The result is that the dark side of this occupation that is – abuse, coercion, lack of choice – is cloaked under a layer of decency, a facade which those profiting from high benefits persistently uphold. Nearly 81% of women who work in brothels in the UK have come from overseas4; and most of them must have been trafficked. Present UK statute law has nothing to say about off-street prostitution. The present law submissively and unconcernedly approves this view of the trade. Provided that the law does not censure the misuse of prostitution there will always be a requirement for women to prostitute and when this demand is not met by the women who have previously been cajoled into prostituting themselves, coercion or forcing others into t his trade by the powerful will not stop. UN Special Reporter for Human Trafficking Sigma Huda pointed out in a latest report: â€Å"It is not necessary for demand itself to lead to trafficking; rather, it is sufficient that the exploitation fostered by the demand leads to trafficking†¦ The demand side of trafficking is not, therefore, properly understood as the demand for a trafficking victim’s prostitution, labour or services. Rather, demand must be understood expansively, as any act that fosters any form of exploitation that, in turn, leads to trafficking.†5 What is a brothel? Prostitution cannot be termed as illegal at a brothel provided the sex worker does not manage or even run the brothel. When a woman uses her house alone for prostitution, is not a brothel. This was established in (Gorman v Standen6, Palace Clarke v Standen7). On the other hand, where rooms or flats in a single building are leased independently to different individuals who provide sexual se rvices; it may be dealt as a brothel but only if they are in actual fact working jointly. In Donovan v Gavin8 it was demonstrated that the leasing of single rooms in a house under freestanding occupancies and to different prostitutes does not inevitably rule out the house, or portions of it, from being a house of prostitution. Communities & Street Prostitution Street prostitution changes

Proposal of Anti-discrimination of Mexican Americans in the South Research Paper

Proposal of Anti-discrimination of Mexican Americans in the South - Research Paper Example The United States has witnessed the movement of many ethnic and racial groups from Latin America and South America. These groups are often identified as Latinos, Hispanics and Mexicans in popular jargon though their racial and ethnic linkages may not always be with these particular groups. Perhaps the greatest influx of these racial and ethnic groups has been in the South of the United States where hundreds of thousands of people cross the border each year in search of better job opportunities and living standards. The most notable of these movements of Latinos and Hispanics originates from Mexico which is just south of the United States border. A large proportion of these immigrants are Mexicans while there are large swathes of naturalized Mexicans already present inside the United States. The Mexican ethnic groups have long been subject to racial discrimination in one form or the other such as the popular association of mafia and drug culture with the Mexicans (E-RACE, 2011). Howev er such sentiments are not always grounded in fact and the Mexicans have played a large part in the development of the United States economy. The racial discrimination faced by the Mexicans has brought direct costs for the federal as well as state governments. This study will focus on the costs of discrimination against Mexicans in South Carolina and the actions and policies that could be implemented in order to deal with these problems through affirmative action and other means. 2. Defining Mexicans As mentioned before the term Latino, Hispanic and Mexican tends to over assume the racial and ethnic identities of the subject groups. The living habits and social behavior as well as the overall outlook for these groups are similar so it is natural to find discrimination across the board for all of these groups. However for the purposes of this study the particular segment in focus will be Mexicans who reside in South Carolina. These Mexicans could either be immigrants who have come ac ross the border recently, workers who work for some time in the United States and then relocate to Mexico as well as Mexicans who are permanently settled in the United States and are naturalized. 3. Economic Profile of Mexicans in South Carolina A study conducted for Mexicans available in South Carolina (Lacy, 2007) demonstrated that most Mexican immigrants were employed in four economic sectors that are: Construction; Restaurants; Manufacturing; Services. Some smaller proportions of Mexicans are also employed in poultry processing and landscaping as well. The study showed that only 0.02 percent of the included respondents were reported as unemployed. However around 11% of the surveyed women (who were home makers) said that they considered taking up another job to augment the total family income. The communication barrier because of lingual differences (Spanish versus English) seemed to play a major role for these women being unable to find jobs. Around 54% of the women surveyed wer e employed and out of these some 56% worked either in restaurants or as domestic help (such as house cleaning, elderly and child care). The income levels of the respondents varied widely. People employed in the construction industry reported incomes of $ 1,350 per month on average but these figures varied depending on weather conditions as well as other factors. The people employed in restaurants reported higher earnings of around $ 1,450 per month on average while those in the manufacturing sectors reported incomes

How would you set about assessing whether a particular strategy was Essay

How would you set about assessing whether a particular strategy was appropriate for your organisation - Essay Example A balanced scored is later on used to further evaluate the overall business performance and its progress towards attainment of objectives. Strategic management is a stage of managerial activity in which goal settings and tactics are set out. Strategic management provides a sense of direction to the organization and is in close proximity with the organization studies. In the domain of business administration, it is important to talk about strategic alignment as a link between an organization and its environment. As said by Adieu in 2007 "there is strategic consistency when the actions of an organization are consistent with the expectations of management, and these in turn are with the market and the context." (L) Strategic management involves not just the management team of an organization but also the Directorial Board and various other stake holders related to the organization. It also depends on the organizational structure of the organization. Strategic management is a process in its own right. It helps evaluate and control those industries associated with the business, which have already engaged with the company. It also helps ass’s competitors, sets goals and strategies, to counter all competitors and later on reassess every strategy chalked down annually or quarterly. It evaluates the overall impact of the strategy, whether it achieved desired objectives or should it be replaced due to changing trends and paradigms, in the wake of new economic, social, financial or political environment. (Simpson) 1. Situation Analysis: In a situation analysis, various types of analysis take place. Self evaluation as well as competitor analysis. They include both external and internal analysis. Macro and Micro environment factors are also set up. 2. Objective setting: Once a situation analysis has been completed, objectives are set. These objectives should run parallel to a time line. Some objectives are set for achieving short term goals and some for long

Wedding Photography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wedding Photography - Essay Example raphers to capture the images that will have meaning for the couple, such as allowing the event to unfold as it does rather than trying to direct it for the ‘perfect’ shot. Finally, it is important to consider the ethics of the situation – are you the first photographer, how do you respond to Uncle Charlie peering over your shoulder and should you digitally enhance images with minor flaws in them in order to provide a more pleasing picture. Examining some of the more important techniques and tips available will help to produce more satisfying results while an understanding of some of the ethics questions involved may help alleviate future problems. As has been mentioned, the wedding photographer must combine more than one role as he or she attempts to capture images of someone’s big day. They must have strong knowledge of portrait photography in terms of lighting and composition. â€Å"Portrait photographers learn lighting ratios such as the normal 3-1 ratio for lighting the face, as well as portrait composition. They then spend time setting up their shots for a desired lighting effect. †¦ They strive to control every aspect of the portrait† (Lee, 2004). This knowledge is often necessary in establishing the group shots of the wedding party and many images of the bride. However, this does not capture the sense of the joyousness of the moment nor does it complete the professional photographer’s duties at a wedding. This is where the photojournalist must come into play. â€Å"The photojournalist on the other hand is ‘quick to draw’ you might say. He or she is able to capture a fleeting mome nt in time. They are on their toes looking for the chance shot† (Lee, 2004). The degree to which a photographer must be a portrait artist or a photojournalist depends greatly on the general trends in society as well as in the wishes and personalities of the couple involved. The more the photographer is able to key in to the mood of the event, the better

The Last Supper by Andrea del Castagno, Leonardo, Tintoretto Essay

The Last Supper by Andrea del Castagno, Leonardo, Tintoretto - Essay Example The essay "The Last Supper by Andrea del Castagno, Leonardo, Tintoretto" compares three paintings - Andrea del Castagno, The Last Supper,1447; Leonardo, The Last supper, 1495-98; Tintoretto, The Last Supper, 1594. Del Castagno’s painting is one of the most distinct. It has a flat style, sharp angles and corners. All of this is in contrast with predominant style during the renaissance. This painting has no motion, no movement, and creates the sense in the viewer that they are looking into a sunken set of figurines. This static portrayal of Christ reinforces his importance historically. There is also something that recalls a Roman fresco about the piece, which also reinforces Christ as a historical figure set into a particular time and place, with historical importance. Da Vinci’s rendition of the last supper does not attempt to depict Christ in historical lights. This image attempts to cast Christ in a more human light. Da Vinci's last supper does not give Christ any par ticular sign of super-humanness, with only the wisp of a cloud suggesting a halo. Christ is given a position of importance, taking up the central portion of the image almost in its entirety, but there is nothing else that would overly separate him from the apostles. His clothing is similar in form and colour, he is not placed above the rest, nor does he have any sign of super-human lighting. Overall Da Vinci’s image depicts Christ in his humanity, reinforcing his human side and diminishing the supernatural.

Identification Discussion Essay Example for Free

Identification Discussion Essay Through his 1946 Politics and the English Language article, author George Orwell discusses some of the challenges facing the English language. For example, the author descries the phenomenon whereby writers in English are increasingly using many and complicated words that effectively blurs their real meanings. In addition, Orwell laments that many writers are using regurgitated words and phrases rather than devise and employ their own fresh phrases. Orwell observes that the existing bad language is deteriorating the thoughts of the populace. In turn, he explains that such usage of bad language corrupts people’s thoughts. Further, the author holds that unclear language is indispensable to politics because it helps in hiding fallacies and atrocious phenomena. Language thus makes unacceptable things to appear tolerable besides concealing the details of certain issues (Orwell, 1946). All in all, Orwell’s pitch is that bad language contributes to poor politics; the complaint is that he is decrying the decadence of the English language, while the moment is that the author requires his audience to demonstrate caution when using the English language. For example, Orwell states that bad language and poor politics are intertwined because unclear expressions are useful political tools. In effect, poor language is employed to glorify war, as well as to cunningly conceal atrocities. The author thus views the English language as having undergone a dangerous transformation of adopting rigid orthodoxy and rejecting innovativeness. Readers are thus cautioned against blindly adhering to such lethargic English language conventions. In conclusion, through the Politics and the English Language treatise, Orwell criticizes the general decadence in the English language that has resulted from orthodoxy and general indolence. He thus observes that such language contributes to bad politics and cautions readers against being ensnared by such lethargic orthodoxy.

Forensic Scientist Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Forensic Scientist Research Paper Essay Definition of a Forensic Scientist There is a definition for a forensic scientist. According to Career Information Center, there is a definition for forensic scientist, â€Å"forensic scientists gather and evaluate evidence from victims, vehicles, and scenes of crimes.† â€Å"Their findings may help to convict or prove the innocence of a person accused of a crime.† Nearly all forensic scientists work for federal, state, or local law enforcement (Engineering. 126). Entry Requirements There are entry requirements to become a forensic scientist. According to Career Information Center, to be a forensic scientist, one needs at least a bachelor’s degree in physical or natural science. However, most crime labs prefer employees that have a master’s or doctorate’s degree in forensics (Engineering. 126). Working Conditions Forensic scientists work varied hours. According to Career Information Center, forensic scientist work a five day, forty hour work week. However, they are on call 24-7 and may be expected to answer late night calls. In some cases, overtime is forced on employees (Engineering. 127). Forensic scientists work in varied environments. They spend most of their time in clean labs (Engineering. 127). They may also work outdoors in all weather conditions including snow, rain and heat (Echaore-McDavid 61). Forensic scientists have to stand, bend, kneel, and crouch in awkward positions (Echaore-McDavid 61). Forensic scientists have to observe unpleasant sights such as blood and corpses (Engineering. 127). Also, there are some risks with working with weapons (Engineering. 127). In addition, forensic scientists are exposed to noxious fumes and poisons (Engineering. 127). Generally, forensic scientists work with lab partners and other branches of law enforcement such as, policemen, FBI, and judges (Engineering. 127). Pay and Benefits Forensic Scientist’s pay varies. According to Career Information Center, their earnings vary depending on experience and education. Entry level pay for a forensic scientist with a bachelor’s degree in 2005 was about $30,000 a year. The median salary was about $40,000. Experienced forensic scientists with a master’s degree earn around $70,000. Different types of forensic scientists earn different salaries. For example, a technician will make around $40,000 a year, but a forensic pathologist can earn up to $200,000 a year. Also, large crime labs use specialists, scientists who do one specific duty well. These specialists often make more money than others (Engineering. 127). Forensic Scientists get benefits. According to Career Information Center, forensic scientists get sick days and vacation days. The amount of days depends on the crime lab they work at. They are also offered medical insurance. Again, this varies with the crime lab. Forensic scientists are also offered pension plans (Engineering. 127). Advancement Forensic scientists have opportunity for advancement. Most start out as trainees where they learn how to do their job. Then, they are given more freedom and assume the duties of the other forensic scientists. A few people may be promoted to senior forensic scientist or manager of the crime lab (Echaore-McDavid 60). Typically, positions open up when other forensic scientists are promoted, retire, or if the lab expands (Engineering. 127). Also, forensic scientists may train new employees for a bonus (Engineering. 127). Outlook Forensic scientists have a very positive outlook. Jobs in forensic science are expected t raise by twenty percent in ten years, well above the national average (U.S. Dept. n.p.) Growth in the field of forensic science is tied to crime rates, high crime rates means a large amount of jobs (Engineering. 127). According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, new technologies speed up the growth of jobs in forensic science. Furthermore, there were 12,800 jobs held by forensic scientists in 2008. The projected employment for 2018 is 15,300 jobs (U.S. Dept. n.p.). JOB DUTIES OF A FORENSIC SCIENTIST Second, there are personal qualities that are required to be a forensic scientist. There are job duties that all forensic scientists share. Also, there are job duties for different types of forensic scientists. Personal Qualities There are personal qualities that are necessary to have to be a forensic scientist. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, Forensic scientists must have communication skills, teamwork skills, writing skills, problem solving skills, and self management skills. Forensic scientists must also be observant, objective, detail oriented, meticulous, ethical, honest, dependable, and courteous. In addition, computer skills are recommended (Echaore-McDavid 60). General Job Duties There are some job duties that all forensic scientists share. All forensic scientists gather, evaluate, and analyze evidence and data from victims, vehicles, and crime scenes (Engineering. 126). Forensic scientists’ findings are used in court cases (Engineering. 126). They may have to train lower level or new employees (Echaore-McDavid 63). All forensic scientists may be called out to crime scenes (Echaore-McDavid 63). Technicians Forensic technicians have specific job duties. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, they gather physical evidence, such as bullets, weapons, and tissues from crime scenes. Technicians must also talk and coordinate with police officers at the crime scene. They note, sketch, and photograph every piece of evidence. Then the technicians send the evidence to the crime lab for further investigating. Technicians also submit accurate and well detailed reports and documentation for court cases. Technicians also maintain and use photography equipment as well as develop film (Echaore-McDavid 60-1). Latent Prints Examiner Prints Examiners have specific job duties as well. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, prints examiners analyze all latent prints including fingerprints, palm prints, footprints, and tire tracks. They use chemicals and plasters to lift prints from scenes of crimes. They take photographs of the prints and convert them to 3D images on a computer. Prints examiners compare these prints with known suspects, victims, and others. Examiners will write reports of their findings and may testify in court (Echaore-McDavid 63). Forensic Chemist Forensic chemists also have specific job duties. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, chemists use chemical analysis to examine physical evidence. They also perform tests to determine the contents of an unknown substance. Chemists make reports and may testify in court (Echaore-McDavid 65). Trace Evidence Examiner Trace evidence examiners have specific job duties as well. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, trace evidence examiners examine hair, tissues, saliva, blood, fluids, plastics, metals, and explosives. They work in crime labs alongside chemists and print examiners. They also develop new and better methods for examining evidence (Echaore-McDavid 65). Firearms and Toolmark Examiners Firearms and toolmark examiners have specific job duties. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, they handle two pieces of evidence: firearms and tools. They determine if firearms or tools were used in a crime. They make identical matches between guns and bullets, and tools and toolmarks. Firearms and toolmark examiners also determine paths of bullets and recreate crime scenes (Echaore-McDavid 69). Questioned Documents Examiner Questioned documents examiners have their own job duties. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, documents examiners analyze checks, currency, vouchers, contracts, certificates, wills, notes and letters. They check if documents and signatures are real or counterfeit. They determine if changes have been made to a document and determine what words were erased or crossed out. Document examiners also identify different types of inks and papers (Echaore-McDavid 71). Polygraph Examiner Polygraph examiners have specific job duties too. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, polygraph examiners administer polygraph tests to suspects and analyze the results. Polygraphs measure pulse, blood pressure, breathing, and perspiration during questioning. Polygraph examiners write their own questions and give them to suspects (Echaore-McDavid 76). Forensic Pathologist Forensic pathologists have specific job duties. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, forensic pathologists primarily perform autopsies. They answer the time of death, whether a death was caused by suicide or homicide, and cause of death. Pathologists may also have to identify bodies. They are also called out to crime scene to examine bodies before they are moved. Forensic pathologists sometimes meet with families of the deceased (Echaore-McDavid 73). ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES Third, there are advantages to having a career as a forensic scientist. There are also disadvantages. Advantages Forensic scientists have advantages for their occupation. With enough education, most forensic scientists make around $70,000 a year (Engineering. 126). They can also earn sick and vacation days (Engineering. 126). They get medical insurance (Engineering. 126). Finally, forensic science is a fast growing field. Its growth is above the national average (U.S. Dept. n.p.). Disadvantages There are also disadvantages in the field of forensic science. The occupation is very high stress. Forensic scientists may witness gruesome sights (Engineering. 126). They also put themselves at risk by working with weapons and chemicals (Engineering. 126). Also, forensic scientists are on call 24-7 and may be forced into working overtime (Echaore-McDavid 60). In addition, it takes about six years to earn a good degree, master’s degree, in forensic science (Engineering. 126). EDUCATION Fourth, there are entry requirements to get into Michigan State University. In addition, Michigan State offers a great program to study forensic science. Entry Requirements The main entry requirement for Michigan Stat is to have a better application than the other applicants. According to Peterson’s Four Year Colleges, the average high school GPA of those admitted to MSU is 3.61. Ninety-seven percent of students had an ACT score over eighteen and nine percent had a score of thirty. Seventy-six percent of students scored over 500 in reading on the SAT’s, eighty-five percent scored over 500 in math, and seventy-three percent scored over 500 in writing. Nine percent of students scored over 700 in reading, fourteen percent scored over 700 in math, and five percent scored over 700 in writing. Only seventy-three percent of applicants are admitted into Michigan State University (Peterson’s. 473). Those admitted into MSU are required to pay tuition. According to Peterson’s Four Year Colleges, on average, state residents are charged about $7,665 per year. Out of state residents are charged around $20,310. Part-time students who live in state are charged $235 per credit hour. Out of state part-time students are charged $656 per credit hour. Some financial aid is provided by MSU if necessary (Peterson’s. 473). Michigan State University Michigan State is a great college to study to study forensic science. MSU was founded in 1885 (Peterson’s. 473). The school has offered a forensic science program since 1946 (â€Å"School.† n.p.). MSU is a coed school (Peterson’s 473). The campus is 5,192 acres and has relatively easy access to Detroit and Lansing (Peterson’s. 473). Michigan State has a great college atmosphere. According to Peterson’s Four Year Colleges, fifty-four percent of students are women and forty-six percent are men. There are students studying at MSU from fifty-four states and territories. There are also students from one hundred different countries. The student faculty ration at MSU is 17:1 (Peterson’s. 473). MSU has a great athletic program. According to Peterson’s Four Year Colleges, all sports available at Michigan State are Division I except for football. MSU offers men’s football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s track, men’s baseball, women’s softball, and men’s and women’s cheerleading. MSU also offers many intramural sports (Peterson’s. 473). Michigan State University offers many clubs to its students. MSU has a drama club, marching band, choral group, radio and television club, newspaper club, and national fraternities and sororities (Peterson’s. 473). MSU provides prime housing. On campus residency is required for a student’s freshman year (Peterson’s. 473). Coed dorms are available as well as women only dorms and disabled students dorms (Peterson’s. 473). Michigan State offers services to students. According to Peterson’s Four Year Colleges, there is a health clinic available to MSU students, psychiatric counseling, and legal services. There is also a woman’s center. MSU provides twenty four hour emergency response and transportation services. Also, self defense workshops are available (Peterson’s. 473). MSU offers top rate classes and degrees in forensic science. According to â€Å"School of Criminal Justice,† the Master’s Degree in Forensic Science is provided by the Michigan State School of Criminal Justice. Applicants for the degree must have at least a 3.0 to apply. One must also have a degree in a lesser or related field such as physical or natural science (â€Å"School.† n.p.). MSU offers a degree in forensic chemistry. To earn a degree, one must take the following classes: Advanced Analytical Chemistry II, Survey in Forensic Science, Forensic Chemistry and Microscopic Evidence, Scanning Electron Microscopy/X-Ray Analysis, and Forensic Serology (â€Å"School.† n.p.). INTERESTS AND NEEDS Furthermore, forensic science does fit my needs. It pays a decent amount of money and will give me a comfortable lifestyle. Forensic Science involves a lot of science and chemistry, which I love to do. Also, forensic scientists help people by assisting in the justice process, which I think is very rewarding. CLOSING In conclusion, forensic science is a very challenging career. If a person is interested in becoming a forensic science, it is going to take a lot more than just a love of the TV show CSI.

Road Traffic Accidents In Oman

Road Traffic Accidents In Oman RTAs are the direct cause of three-quarters of all accidental deaths of people between the ages of 15 and 24 years (ROP, 2005). In 2005,688 men, women and children were killed and 6,500 injured in 9247 crashes. There have been nearly 45,000 injured since the year 2000. For every death in a road accident, 2 to 3 young people are permanently disabled (ROP, 2010). Factors Influencing THE High Prevalence of RTAs in Oman Socioeconomic Factors In the last three decades, a large economic growth in the Arabian Gulf countries including Oman took place, due to the discovery of oil. Many aspects of life changed shortly after that. There was a sudden increase both in population and in the number of vehicles and that was also accompanied by a rapid expansion of road construction. All these economic factors have changed many aspects of life and have given the public the opportunity to own private cars ( Bener and Jadaan, 1992), which consequently led to the increased number of accidents around the country. However, the different socioeconomic family condition within the country had its effect on the likelihood of a child or young adult being killed or injured in an RTA. From my personal experience, as a native Omani, children and young adults from a rich families will be using private transport to get to school while the low socioeconomic state family children go to school either by walking or using public transport which, accordi ng to WHO (2007) put them at a higher risk of being involved in an RTA. Behaviour The behaviour of the road user clearly constitutes an important risk factor for RTAs. In Oman careless driving and excess speed are identified as the main causes of RTAs ( ROP, 2010), especially among the age group 15 to 25 years. This age is identified with its complex interaction in terms of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial developmental processes, which result in greater risk-taking (Johnson and Jones 2010). On the other hand, women in Oman are over cautious drivers, which is likely to confuse other road users by their hesitation and thus precipitate a RTA (ROP, 2010). Public Policy The law and the road legislative authority have established a lot of regulations to improve road users safety, like the compulsory wearing of front seat belts, implementation of speed limits and the prohibiting the use of mobile phones during driving (ROP, 2010). However, based on my knowledge and experience, those legislations are loosely applied, which leads to a poor compliance by the community. A study was carried out to examine seat belt wearing in cars entering the Sultan Qaboos University complex on a single day. The study showed that 90.1% of drivers and 80.9% of front seat passengers wore their seat belt. However, only 1.4% of rear seat passengers wore a seat belt. The adherence of the front seat passengers was not as that of the drivers although there were police staff at the gates to the campus and spot checks on the roads frequently result in fines. Researchers also reported that they could see front seat occupants putting on their seat belts as they approached the gates (McIlvenny, 2006 p.3). Health Services The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a new service in Oman. It has been developed due to the increase in the prevalence of RTAs. Currently, it is run by trained Emergency Medical Technicians under the sponsorship of the ROP Ambulance Division. The service covers most of the country and responds mainly for trauma emergencies. It is free of charge for all people in Oman. There are plans to increase its coverage to the whole country by 2012. The EMS in Oman has hard challenges especially in terms of geographical constraints (Alshaqsi, 2009). In addition, Oman has one large trauma centre, which opens the discussion for equity in the country in terms of differences in accessibility between urban and rural areas. Religion Islam is the dominant religion in Oman with small representations of Christian, Hindu and Bodehies. Religion in Oman forms a vital part of the community life. In Islam violating the legislation is unacceptable, thus death caused by a RTA is considered to be a murder or a suicide, which are major sins not only in Islam but in all religions. However a Fatwa, which is a reliable regulation on a point of Islamic law, was declared by the highest religious authority in the country; this Fatwa represented the Islamic point of view on the RTA, yet there have been no changes or decrease in the prevalence of the RTAs since the initiation of this Fatwa (AlKalili, 2011). Priority Intervention TO control RTAs IN Oman Most of the factors mentioned above are, in fact, enabling if mobilized effectively within the community to reduce the prevalence of RTAs. Thus, this section will highlight improvements to be considered in order to strengthen the public policy, health services and health education to control RTAs in Oman. Although the priorities in road safety policies cannot be global in nature because of the differing patterns of traffic and RTAs around the world, he supporting evidence on the effectiveness of the suggested interventions is mainly from western countries, which constitute a lot of differences in terms of context. That is because of the very small amount of road safety research that is done in Oman and neighboring countries, especially in the interventions that are suggested in the next section. However, the implementation of these interventions is feasible in the context of Oman. Public Policy The strict application of the existing legislation and its penalties is very essential, then benchmarking of some other safety legislations, which were shown to be effective in other countries, could be adopted. One of these legislation, for instance, is the mandatory use of rear seat-belts and child restrainers, which proved effective in reducing the seriousness of injuries thus reducing the of fatality, especially among the most vulnerable age groups, children and young adults. (Kendall and Bodiwala,1994). Readjusting the speed limits according to the international recommendation and then strict enforcement of it will result in fewer injuries. A good example of the effect of such legislation is the introduction of speed cameras in London over a six year period, which resulted in a remarkable reduction in deaths and serious injuries (West,1998). Safer design of roads and roadside environments is also important, especially in the rural areas of Oman where the roads are narrow and not straight, have no lights at night and no side guardrails or crash barriers. These interventions have resulted in fewer injuries when implemented in other countries (Elvilc, 1995). Improvements In Health Services Although the health service in Oman has a well established infrastructure, there are some interventions that could improve RTA survivals when implemented and these can be categorized in to three stages, pre-hospital, in hospital and post-hospital trauma care; Pre-hospital trauma care Although the EMS in Oman is functioning well since it was started a few years ago geographical constrains do play a major role in the speed of arrival of the EMS to the place of the RTA, as the small population of the country is scattered in a large land area; there are people who live on the mountains and others deep in the deserts, and due to these constraints a community based pre-hospital strategy was suggested by WHO (2005). Basically, it is teaching some interested community members the basic first aid and pre-hospital trauma care techniques. Those first responders can be taught to call for help and provide the first aid until health-care personnel arrive to give the necessary care. These individuals could be, for instance, taxi drivers, high school students river, high school students or the community leaders. In-hospital trauma care One large trauma centre for the whole country is situated in the capital. However, the north side of the country is as far as 12 hours driving or a two-hour flight, which constitutes a high risk in transporting RTA traumatised patients to this national trauma centre. Thus providing this kind of services at the secondary hospitals that are situated almost in all the regions of the country can play a major role in speeding up the necessary interventions and improving the survival of the RTA victims. Post-hospital trauma care (Rehabilitation system) The centralised rehabilitation care for the RTA patients needs to be decentralised and made easily accessible to all the population and in this respect the equity issue, between the urban and rural, should be considered. In summary, in providing health services for the RTAs, to improve survival rates an integrated approach between the three levels of care is strongly recommended in the literature and has proven its effectiveness (Hedstrom and Garneski 2006) Health Education. Many educational programs have been established for the prevention of RTAs in Oman. However, there is no significant statistical data related to the effect of those programs. On the other hand, Wood and Bellis (2010) argue that comprehensive interventions that engage the community at large and combine strategies such as education programmes and traffic calming measures have shown their effectiveness in Australia, USA and UK. in reducing the incidence of RTAs. Conclusion RTAs are a major public health issue in Oman. In order to develop a health promotion approach to it, community mobilisation and empowerment along with improvements, reinforcement of public health policies and the health care services is the key to prevention and the reduction in injuries. Part Two: Roads: A Health Promoting Setting introduction Road traffic accidents (RTAs) is a growing public health problem in Oman; from the discussion in part one of this assignment, evidence showed the significant impact of changing and promoting the road settings as well as the enforcement of road safety regulations. This document will present a health promotion strategy taking the roads as the setting to be addressed in order to make roads safer for everyone. Aims To establish a sustainable infrastructure that promotes road safety, and to empower the community to make the appropriate health protecting decisions through advocating healthy public policies on road safety. To increase the level of knowledge and skills of RTAs prevention through the mass media. To address inequalities in health services for RTA casualties in Oman due to geographical reasons, and empower the community to build their capacity to reduce and prevent RTA injuries. To encourage young adults in the community (15 to 25) to change their aggressive driving behavior and adopt healthier attitudes towards road safety. Health Promoting setting Health Promoting Roads Although the literature studied did not directly discuss roads as a setting for health promotion, the majority of RTA prevention and health promoting strategies are directly linked to the roads and the road users. Thus I strongly believe that in the case of RTA prevention, roads are the appropriate setting for a road safety health promotion programme. This programme is going to target all the road users (drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians) at a national level. Moreover, the programme will constitute multiple integrated approaches; firstly, the medical approach, which will aim to reduce. the premature fatality due to RTAs by advocating for community, participation in the provision of first aid for RTA victims in the rural areas, where the emergency medical services EMS could be delayed due to geographical constraints. Secondly, the educational approach, which will aim to provide the knowledge and skills to the targeted group in order to assist them to make an informed choice to adapt a healthy behaviour when using the roads. Thirdly, social change approach which will aim to focus on the public health policy changes and physical infrastructure changes and improvements of roads that will eventually lead to safer roads for every one (Naidoo and Wills 2009; Bener and Crundall 2004) Tones framework model on health promotion (1994) explains the relationship between health education and health promotion. However, this framework could be adapted in this assignment to also explain the relationship of the different approaches used in order to eventually empower the community.Working for empowerment enhances individual autonomy and enables individuals, groups and communities to take more control over their lives(Naidoo and Wills 2000 pp.108-109). HEALTH Lobbying, Advocacy Health services Health promotion organisations Critical consciences arising Agenda setting Empowered participating community Public pressure Empowerment Health choices Professional education Education for health Healthy social and physical environment Healthy public policy (Adapted from Tones and Tilford 1994, cited in Naidoo and Wills 2000 p.108 AIM 1: To establish a sustainable infrastructure that promotes road safety, and to empower the community to make the appropriate healthy decision through advocating healthy public policy on road safety. Objectives Activities To identify and compile existing best practices in road structure, which promote road safety for all road users. Arrange meeting with the stakeholders involving experts to agree on the means of researching and gathering evidence Involve the community leaders to give their input Introduction of new speed limit legislation Introduction of rear seat belt legislation Introduction of child restrainers in cars Advocate for new legislation, providing the evidence of its effectiveness in promoting the road safety and prevention of RTAs. AIM 2: To increase the level of knowledge and skills of RTAs prevention through the mass media objectives Activities stakeholders Improve the community understanding of safety road usage, to enable them to change their behavior toward safer roads utilization Road safety campaigns using the mass media Radio drama and road posters on the following issues; Use of seat belts, front, rear and child restrainers Speed limits, the consequence of adherence to legislated limits. Compulsory regular breaks for the bus drivers -Director of the media in the country -Police authority Community leaders Experts in the field AIM 3: To address inequalities in health services for RTA causalities in Oman due to geographical reasons, and empowering the community to build their capacity to reduce fatalities due to RTA injuries. objectives Activities stakeholders Expand the EMS for all the country Empower some of the community members to participate in pre-hospital care. Train motivated community members like high school students, taxi drivers and community leaders in providing first aid and trauma life saving techniques. Short courses provided by trainers from paramedical training institution in a community setting like schools or the social gathering places (common in rural areas). Legal authority Training institutions Police authority Community leaders Schools managers AIM 4: To encourage young adults in the community (15 to 25) to change their aggressive driving behavior and adopt healthier attitudes towards roads safety objectives Activities stakeholders Introduce a road safety programme in high schools To adopt criteria for licensing which includes the attitude of the driver . Road safety school curriculum for high school students Thought materials for driving schools Education authority Police authority School managers Driving training institution managers Evaluation plan of the health promoting roads program According to Naidoo and Wills (2000), the value of a health promotion intervention can be judged by considering the following criteria: effectiveness; were the aims and objectives met and to what extent (reduction of the RTAs), appropriateness; were the suggested interventions relevant to the problem, acceptability; were the interventions culturally and religiously sensitive, efficiency; how a resource was spent and equity; since it is a national programme did it cover all the country with the consideration of high vulnerability areas. Aims of the evaluation To assess short term outcomes: attitudes of the drivers on the roads in terms of adherence to the speed limits and seat belt regulations. To evaluate mid-term: process of implementation. To assess the long term outcomes: achievement of the goals Objectives The short term evaluation of the programme will be done after one year to evaluate the process of the implementation and after four years to assess the impact of the programme in the prevention of RTAs and reducing the severity of injuries Short Term Evaluation and Verification Means Number of stakeholders who participated in the planning process Number of the community leaders who participated in the traffic legislation changes Number of the new traffic legislations initiated Number of mass media programmes initiated Number of traffic offences due to poor compliance with the seat belt and speed regulations. Number of community volunteers enrolled in the trauma first aid programme Mid-Term Evaluation and Verification Means Number of road infrastructure changes, improvements and maintenance projects planned and budgeted School road safety curriculum implementation Long-Term Evaluation and Verification Means Percentage of RTA reduction from all the regions in the country. Percentage of deaths, injuries caused by RTAs and the type and severity of the injuries. Sustainability of all the initiated interventions Research of changes in high school students behavior in regard to aggressive driving and speed limits. Changes and improvements in experts inspection and evaluation of the roads infrastructure. Conclusion Safer Roads for Everyone is a health promoting programme that will include many detailed interventions, but it is not intended to be a rigid plan. The plan and targets will be reviewed periodically to take account of new ideas from all stakeholders and the community, also to consider new evidence based interventions and new technologies. A Road Safety Advisory board will be initiated to assist in the review of the whole process.

Early Christianity Essay -- History Religion Jesus Christ

The earliest recorded text teaching Christianity has its roots buried deep within Judaism. The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, created a new ideology of worship. The Messiah is the savior for all people and of all sins. Paul carried the message of the Messiah to the Gentiles. His missionary journeys and establishment of churches enabled the spreading of the message throughout the Roman Empire. Christianity grew in acceptance; those that believed in the Messiah separated and began to worship on their own. This marked the beginning of the split of Judaism and Christianity. Christianity experienced many pitfalls along the path to fulfillment. As in history, today we find ourselves learning Christ’s lessons all over again. The earliest Christian worshipers endured many hardships not experienced by society today. These differences in science, technology, and lack of practicing our beliefs have caused a rift between early Christianity and Christianity today. Christianity borrows many aspects from Judaism. The Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures were used in the early teachings, however the Christian believers interpreted the scriptures in a different manner. This interpretation leads to a fundamental shift in ideology between Jews and Christians. In addition to scripture, Christianity adopted many worship rituals practiced within the Jewish synagogue; such as prayers, baptisms, and communion. Christianity of today still practices these sacred ritu...

Toxic Effects of Aluminum and Their Probable Association with Dialysis

Toxic Effects of Aluminum and Their Probable Association with Dialysis Encephalopathy Reports on the neurotoxic properties of Aluminum (Al++), as well as those of many other heavy metals, date as far back as the end of the nineteenth century. In 1965, Al was found to induce the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in animal brains. These NFT’s were similar to those found in brains of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Vast research thus, was targeted at defining the possible etiologic role of Al in AD. However, several findings, among them the fact that Al++ induced NFT’s are structurally different than those found in AD, have contributed to reducing the importance placed on Al++ as an etiologic factor of AD. The Al++ theory, however, still remains a theory, and further research needs to be done before it can be disproved. In 1970, Alfrey and collaborators described a disease called dialysis encephalopathy (DE). This degenerative disease was seen in renal failure patients who had been undergoing dialysis. Studies following this initial report have implicated Al++ intoxication as a probable cause for the development of the disease. The purpose of this paper will be to describe the possible mechanisms by which Al may in fact act as a contributory factor the in induction of neural degeneration that may lead to DE. The neurological problems associated with chronic renal failure and its consequent treatment, namely hemodialysis, can be either acute or chronic. When acute, the patient develops a set of symptoms collectively referred to as dialysis disequilibrium syndrome (DDS). This syndrome presents with a transient loss or alteration of the sense of equilibrium due to disturbances to the vestibular sy... ...on, G., Cogdill, K., Jope, R. Oral Aluminum Alters In Vitro Protein Phosphorylation and Kinase Activities in Rat Brain. Neurobiology of Aging, 11: 209-16 (1990). 5) Johnson, G., Li, X., Jope, R. Aluminum Increases Agonist Stimulated Cyclic AMP Production in Rat Cerebral Cortical Slices. Journal of Neurochemistry, 53: 258-63 (1989). 6) Kerr, D., Ward, M., Ellis, H., Simpson, W. Aluminum Intoxication in Renal Disease. CIBA-Found-Symposium, 169: 123-41 (1992). 7) Langui, D., Probst, A., Anderton, B. Aluminum Induced Tangles in Cultured Rat Neurons. Acta Neuropathol., 80: 649-55 (1990). 8) Meiri, H., Banin, E., Roll, M., Rousseau, A. Toxic Effects of Aluminum on Nerve Cells and Synaptic Transmission. Progress in Neurobiology, 40: 89-121 (1993). 9) Wisniewski, H., Wen, G. Aluminum and Alzheimer’s Disease. CIBA-Found-Symposium, 169: 142-64 (1992). Toxic Effects of Aluminum and Their Probable Association with Dialysis Toxic Effects of Aluminum and Their Probable Association with Dialysis Encephalopathy Reports on the neurotoxic properties of Aluminum (Al++), as well as those of many other heavy metals, date as far back as the end of the nineteenth century. In 1965, Al was found to induce the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in animal brains. These NFT’s were similar to those found in brains of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Vast research thus, was targeted at defining the possible etiologic role of Al in AD. However, several findings, among them the fact that Al++ induced NFT’s are structurally different than those found in AD, have contributed to reducing the importance placed on Al++ as an etiologic factor of AD. The Al++ theory, however, still remains a theory, and further research needs to be done before it can be disproved. In 1970, Alfrey and collaborators described a disease called dialysis encephalopathy (DE). This degenerative disease was seen in renal failure patients who had been undergoing dialysis. Studies following this initial report have implicated Al++ intoxication as a probable cause for the development of the disease. The purpose of this paper will be to describe the possible mechanisms by which Al may in fact act as a contributory factor the in induction of neural degeneration that may lead to DE. The neurological problems associated with chronic renal failure and its consequent treatment, namely hemodialysis, can be either acute or chronic. When acute, the patient develops a set of symptoms collectively referred to as dialysis disequilibrium syndrome (DDS). This syndrome presents with a transient loss or alteration of the sense of equilibrium due to disturbances to the vestibular sy... ...on, G., Cogdill, K., Jope, R. Oral Aluminum Alters In Vitro Protein Phosphorylation and Kinase Activities in Rat Brain. Neurobiology of Aging, 11: 209-16 (1990). 5) Johnson, G., Li, X., Jope, R. Aluminum Increases Agonist Stimulated Cyclic AMP Production in Rat Cerebral Cortical Slices. Journal of Neurochemistry, 53: 258-63 (1989). 6) Kerr, D., Ward, M., Ellis, H., Simpson, W. Aluminum Intoxication in Renal Disease. CIBA-Found-Symposium, 169: 123-41 (1992). 7) Langui, D., Probst, A., Anderton, B. Aluminum Induced Tangles in Cultured Rat Neurons. Acta Neuropathol., 80: 649-55 (1990). 8) Meiri, H., Banin, E., Roll, M., Rousseau, A. Toxic Effects of Aluminum on Nerve Cells and Synaptic Transmission. Progress in Neurobiology, 40: 89-121 (1993). 9) Wisniewski, H., Wen, G. Aluminum and Alzheimer’s Disease. CIBA-Found-Symposium, 169: 142-64 (1992).

Dangerous Knowledge Essay -- Essays Papers

Dangerous Knowledge The pursuit of forbidden knowledge is the impetus and downfall of man's quest to understand the unknown. In the Bible, God warns man that knowledge brings more regret than it does value: "He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow" (Ecclesiastes 1:18.). Throughout the history of mankind, man has been faced with the temptation to reach the level of God. The Tower of Babel is the first attempt by man to become as powerful as God when man tries to build a tower that reaches the heavens. " 'Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name; lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth' " (Genesis 11:4). In the end, God punishes man for attempting to know what God should only understand. "So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city" (Genesis 11:8). The pursuit of knowledge is at the heart of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Robe rt Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The main characters, Victor Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll, attempt to reach beyond accepted human limits and access the secrets of life. As a result, the ruthless pursuit of knowledge proves dangerous as both men eventually destroy themselves and everyone dear to them. The thirst for knowledge is a hidden evil that man can only see after it has destroyed his life. Frankenstein is a young scientist who is blinded by the fame and dangers of the knowledge of creation. "So much has been done," exclaims Frankenstein after he hears a lecture on famous scientists. "More, far more, will I achieve: treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unk... ...one, but scientist Lewis Thomas says, "We cannot wish away the "Frankenstein Impulse"-we must instead try to channel it in a democratic and ethical direction" (Article Finder). The thirst for knowledge is a hidden evil that man can only see after it has destroyed his life. Had Frankenstein and Jekyll followed the advice of Thomas then maybe their findings would have turned out to be good rather than evil. Perhaps God grants the pursuit of knowledge to those he knows will abuse it in order to make an example of their irresponsible pursuit of knowledge and to prove that some knowledge is off limits to man. Works Cited Goodall, Jane. "Frankenstein and the Reprobate's Conscience." Studies in the Novel 31.1 (1999): 19. Madigan, Timothy J. "Defending Dr. Frankenstein." Free Inquiry 14.4 (1994): 48. Ribalow, M.Z. "Script Doctors." The Sciences 38.6 (1998): 26.

People Are Becoming Overly Dependent on Technology

Dustan Clinton English 1301 Doctor Nellis 15 April 2013 People have become overly dependent on Technology Some people would say all the great inventions and updates on technology have made this world a better place. It has not! This world has become overly dependent on technology, because of the fact; jobs requirements have changed, laziness has prevailed and people are just commonly fascinated in all that has been created in today’s world that makes that one task little bit easier by the push of a button.Society is pushed in learning new technology to keep their jobs. Men and women that are in there mid range of age in life having been working for that certain career that now allows a machine or knowledge of a device to run it. The newer generation will not know what it is like to actually build with their hands, and will be lost if the device was to break. Certain industries have to have parts quality inspected and be checked by hands. Now they have machines to do it.Our mil itary relies on advanced technology to protect or national security, knowing that’s not the only way to protect. Laziness is part of people becoming overly dependent on technology in today’s society. Everyday ordinary people are using the latest technology to make life just a little easier. Take cell phones added with high speed internet. People can deposit checks, make credit card payments, and pay utility bills, just from a few touches of some buttons on their phones. People are using emails instead of writing letters and postage stamps.Cell phones and similar devices are allowing access to web sites like face book and twitter that allow family and friends to stay connected instead of actually using their phone to make a call. Some kids are growing up not knowing how to even use certain kitchen appliances, such as cheese grader, potato peeler, or can opener. Almost all foods are being made where anyone is able to throw in the microwave and have a full meal. Younger g enerations don’t know what home cooked meals are using grills really is because you can ave full four course meal out of the little box in the corner of the kitchen that cooks for you. House hold chores have even become easier with electric appliances. Dish washers, washing machines, clothes driers, robotic floor sweepers; have made people lazy because they have become overly dependent on today’s technology. People are so fascinated with today’s technology it has caused society to become overly dependent on it. Gaming systems for kids have become so high tech. it is causing them to become addicted, and keeping them from wondering outside and seeing the nature side of life.The systems are filled with intense graphics and connect to high speed internet so kids and young adults can game with the other side of the world. That is fascinating and it also causes kids to be overly fascinated in this technology. Society use to go to the store to rent movies and but cdsâ €™, now they just get on their computers and find a web site to download them. Downloading capability has multiplied 100 percent over the past ten years. It fascinates people just to be able to sit at home and get all the music, or watch any movie they want right there at their finger tips.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 18

Around ten the next morning, the phone jolted me out of a dream I'd been having about jellyfish and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Rolling over, I picked it up, discovering in the process that I ached a lot less than I had last night. Immortal healing in action. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Hey, it's Seth.† Seth! Yesterday's events rushed back to me. The birthday party. The ice cream. The perfume. I again wondered who he'd had to meet after dropping me off at the bookstore. â€Å"Hi,† I gushed, sitting up. â€Å"How are you?† â€Å"Not bad. I'm, uh, over at Emerald City, and I didn't see you†¦ they said it's your day off.† â€Å"Yeah, I'll be back tomorrow.† â€Å"Okay. So, um, do you want to maybe do something today? Lunch? Or a movie maybe? Unless you have other plans†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No†¦ not exactly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I bit my lip, silencing the immediate acceptance that wanted to spring forth. I still had that strange, inexplicable attraction and sense of comfortable familiarity with Seth. I would have liked to hang out with him more, but I had already tried walking the line of friendship and dating with Roman, only to have that blow up in my face. It would be far better never to get started with Seth, despite my longings. Besides, I hadn't forgotten about my angelic bodyguard; I didn't really want him tagging along. Best to keep Carter indoors as long as possible. â€Å"But I'm sick.† â€Å"Really? I'm sorry.† â€Å"Yeah, you know†¦ just that kind of run-down feeling.† It wasn't entirely a lie. â€Å"I don't really feel up to getting out today.† â€Å"Oh. Okay. Do you need anything? Do you want me to bring you any food maybe?† â€Å"No†¦ no,† I hastily assured him, banishing images of Seth feeding me chicken soup while I lounged around in cute pajamas. Christ. This was going to be harder than I thought. â€Å"I don't want you to have to keep taking care of me. Thanks, though.† â€Å"I don't mind. I mean, no problem.† â€Å"I should be in tomorrow, if this doesn't get worse†¦ so I'll see you then. Maybe we can have coffee. Or rather, I'll have coffee and you can†¦ not have coffee.† â€Å"Okay. I'd like that. Not having coffee, I mean. Would you mind†¦ that is, can I check on you later? Call you again?† â€Å"Sure.† The phone was safe enough. â€Å"Okay. If you need anything before then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know how to reach you.† We said our goodbyes and disconnected, and I clambered out of bed to see what mischief Carter had managed this morning. I found the angel sitting on a stool by my kitchen counter, feeding Aubrey sausage with one hand while he held some sort of breakfast sandwich in the other. An enormous McDonald's bag sat on the counter near him. â€Å"I made breakfast,† he told me, eyes on Aubrey. â€Å"Don't give her that,† I chastised. â€Å"It's bad for her.† â€Å"Cats don't eat kernels of dry food in the wilderness.† â€Å"Aubrey couldn't survive in the wilderness.† I scratched her head, but she was more interested in licking the grease off her chops. Opening the bag, I found a variety of sandwiches and hash brown patties. â€Å"I didn't know what you'd want,† Carter explained as I pulled out a Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit. I bit into it, melting at that scrumptiousness, grateful weight gain and cholesterol were nonevents for me. â€Å"Hey, wait. Did you actually go to McDonald's?† â€Å"Yup.† I swallowed the food. â€Å"You just left? Just now?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"What kind of bodyguard are you? What if the nephilim came back and attacked me?† He eyed me and shrugged. â€Å"You look okay to me.† â€Å"You're not very good at this.† â€Å"Who was on the phone?† â€Å"Seth.† â€Å"The author?† â€Å"Yeah. Wanted to hang out today. I told him I was sick.† â€Å"Poor guy. You're breaking his heart.† â€Å"Better that than something else.† I finished the sandwich and went for a second one. Aubrey watched me hopefully. â€Å"So what are we doing today?† â€Å"Nothing. At least, I'm not going out, if that's what you mean.† â€Å"You aren't going to attract nephilim attention that way.† He glanced around my apartment and grimaced when I didn't respond. â€Å"It's going to be a long day then. I hope you at least have cable.† We spent the rest of the morning more or less staying out of each other's way. I let him use my laptop, and he got caught up in surfing eBay. What he could be looking for, I had no idea. As for me, I stayed in my pajamas after all, tossing a robe over them and deeming that good enough. I attempted to call Roman once, knowing I'd need to face him eventually, but I only managed to leave a voice mail message. I hung up with a sigh, opting to curl up on the couch with a book Seth had recommended in one of his e-mails. Just as I was starting to think I'd recovered from the dense breakfast and needed lunch, Carter suddenly peered over the top of the laptop, like a hound sniffing the wind. â€Å"I have to go,† he told me abruptly, standing up. â€Å"What? What do you mean?† † Nephilim signature.† I bolted upright from my lounging position. â€Å"What? Where?† â€Å"Not here.† With that, he blinked out of sight. I sat there, looking around uneasily. Whereas earlier I'd felt stifled by his presence, his sudden disappearance became a gaping hole in my environment. I was exposed. Vulnerable. When he didn't return in a few minutes, I tried unsuccessfully to pay attention to my book, finally giving up after I'd reread the same sentence five times. Still wanting lunch, I called and ordered a pizza, making sure I included enough for Carter. Doing this wasn't the best of ideas on my part since it meant opening the door eventually. When I did, I expected no less than an army of nephilim outside. Instead, I only found a bored-looking pizza guy, demanding $15.07. I munched on the pizza and tried to watch television with little luck. Turning to the laptop, I checked my e-mail and found that Seth had sent me a funny letter, much more eloquent than our earlier conversation, per usual. It only provided temporary distraction, and I was on the verge of breaking out the paint-by-number kit when Carter blinked back into my living room. â€Å"What the hell was that? Where have you been?† The angel regarded me with a calm, wry smile. â€Å"Easy there, haven't you ever heard of respecting boundaries in a relationship? It was in that book you were so quick to discard.† â€Å"Cut it out. You can't just say ‘ nephilim signature' and then disappear like that.† â€Å"I can actually. I have to.† He found the cold pizza on my counter and bit into a piece. Swallowing, he continued, â€Å"This nephilim's got a real twisted sense of humor. Every once in a while, it likes to unmask†¦ flash us, so to speak. This time it came from West Seattle.† â€Å"You can detect that from this far away?† â€Å"Jerome and I can. We never catch the creep, but we have to check it out anyway. Leads us on a merry chase.† The implications seemed obvious to me. â€Å"So you leave me? What if it's a setup? What if it flashes you over there and then zaps back to me while all the attention's away?† â€Å"It can't just ‘zap' around. Nephilim don't move like higher immortals do; they're constrained by the same limitations as you, fortunately. This one would have to get in a car and drive back over here, just like everyone else, which would hardly be a speedy process. You're protected by miles of traffic congestion.† â€Å"Weird.† â€Å"Like we said, they're unpredictable. They like breaking rules, shaking up the status quo just to see what we'll do.† â€Å"Weird,† I repeated. â€Å"Does it even know you're there? That it's making you drop everything and come?† â€Å"If the nephilim's close enough, it'd be able to sense the teleporting but nothing else past that. As long as we're masked, our identities, strength, and whatever stay hidden. So, if it is lurking, it knows two higher immortals came to check it out, but not much more than that.† â€Å"And it just watches and waits,† I concluded. â€Å"Kind of twisted. Lord, these things are a pain in the ass.† â€Å"Tell me about it. They ‘do not go gently into that good night.' â€Å" I blinked at the poetic reference. â€Å"Wait†¦ that's what's going to happen? You're going to kill†¦ er, destroy it or something?† Carter cocked his head toward me curiously. â€Å"What'd you think would happen? Ten years and parole?† â€Å"I†¦ don't know. I just figured†¦ wow. I don't know. Are you into that? The whole smiting thing? I mean, I suppose you guys vanquish evil on a regular basis, huh?† â€Å"We smite, as you so cutely term it, when we have to. Demons tend to be more into it than we are. In fact, Nanette even offered to come up and take care of this nephilim,† he recalled, referring to Portland's archdemoness. â€Å"But I told Jerome I'd help.† â€Å"Wouldn't Jerome want to do it himself?† â€Å"Do you refuse backup when it's offered?† he asked me, answering my question with a question which, really, was no answer at all. Thinking about it, he laughed softly. â€Å"Of course, I forget, Georgina rushes in where angels fear to tread.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know how that quote really goes.† I stood up and stretched. â€Å"Well, if the excitement's over, I think I'll take a bath.† â€Å"Wow. The harsh lifestyle of a succubus. I wish I had your job.† â€Å"Hey, our side's always recruiting. You might need to be a little prettier to be an incubus, though. And a little more charming.† â€Å"Untrue. Mortal women go for jerks. I see it all the time.† â€Å"Touche.† I left him and took my bath, afterward finally giving up my pajamas for jeans and a T-shirt. I returned to the living room, turned on the television, and found The African-Queen just starting. Carter closed the laptop and watched with me. I'd always liked Katharine Hepburn but couldn't help marvel at what a dull day this was turning out to be. Avoiding going outside wouldn't do me any good in the long term since I'd have to drag Carter around with me tomorrow anyway when I went to work. My self-imposed enclosure today only prolonged the inevitable. In light of this, I considered breaking the cabin fever by seeing if he wanted to go to dinner after the movie. He shot up before I could speak, once more sensing a nephilim signature. â€Å"Twice in one day?† â€Å"It happens.† â€Å"Where now?† â€Å"Lynn wood.† â€Å"This guy gets around.† But I was speaking to empty air; Carter had disappeared. Sighing, I turned back to the movie, feeling a little more at ease after the angel's last explanation. The nephilim was in Lynnwood, trying to be a nuisance to Jerome and Carter. Commuting time was rapidly approaching, and Lynnwood was no small jump away. No nephilim would beat the angel back. As Carter had pointed out, I was safe for the time being. I had no need to panic. Yet, I nearly jumped out of my skin anyway when I heard the phone ring a few minutes later. Nervously, I picked up the receiver, imagining a nephilim blasting out of it. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Hey. It's me again.† â€Å"Seth. Hi.† â€Å"Hope I'm not bothering you. I just wanted to see how you are†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Better,† I told him sincerely. â€Å"I liked your e-mail.† â€Å"Did you? Cool.† Our normal silence fell. â€Å"So†¦ did you get a lot of writing done today?† â€Å"I did actually. About ten pages. That never sounds like a lot, but – â€Å" A knock sounded at the door, and a chill ran down my spine. â€Å"Can-can you hang on?† â€Å"Sure.† Hesitantly, I prowled toward the door like a cat burglar, as though slow and drawn-out movements would actually do something against an insanely powerful supernatural being. Reaching the door, I carefully peered out the peephole. Roman. Exhaling with relief, I opened the door, resisting the urge to throw my arms around him. â€Å"Hi.† â€Å"Are you talking to me?† asked Seth through the phone. â€Å"Hi,† Roman told me, looking just as uncertain as I felt. â€Å"Can†¦ I come in?† † Er, no I'm not, I mean, yes you can, and yes I am talking to you now.† I stepped aside so Roman could enter. â€Å"Look Seth, can I, um, call you back? Or maybe†¦ I'll just see you tomorrow, okay?† â€Å"Uh, yeah. I guess. Everything okay?† â€Å"It's fine. Thanks for calling.† We hung up, and I gave Roman my full attention. â€Å"Seth Mortensen, famous author?† â€Å"I've been sick today,† I explained, using the same excuse I'd given Seth. â€Å"He just wanted to check on me.† â€Å"Terribly considerate of him.† Roman put his hands in his pockets and paced. â€Å"We're just friends.† â€Å"Of course you are. Because you don't date, right?† â€Å"Roman – † I cut off the onslaught that wanted to rush out, switching to safer territory. â€Å"Can I get you anything? Soda? Coffee?† â€Å"I can't stay. I was passing through and got your message. I just thought I'd†¦ I don't know what I was thinking. It was stupid.† He turned as if to leave, and I frantically reached out, grabbing his arm. â€Å"Wait. Don't. Please.† He turned to face me, looking down from his lofty height, the normally good-humored face grave today. Fighting my natural reaction at such proximity, I felt surprised when his expression softened, and he noted, mildly astonished, â€Å"You really aren't feeling well.† â€Å"W-what makes you say that?† I had shape-shifted my bruises away as Jerome had suggested and whatever smarting pain I felt was no longer visible. Gingerly, he reached out and stroked my cheek, fingers becoming bolder. â€Å"I don't know†¦ you're just†¦ kind of pale, I guess.† I started to point out I wasn't wearing makeup and then realized I wanted to appear sick. â€Å"Probably a cold.† He let his hand drop. â€Å"Is there anything I can do for you? I don't like†¦ seeing you like this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lord, how bad did I look? â€Å"I'm fine. I just need rest. Look, about the other night – â€Å" â€Å"I'm sorry,† he interrupted. â€Å"I shouldn't have pushed you – â€Å" I stared, amazed. â€Å"You didn't do anything. It was me. I was the nutjob. I'm the one who couldn't handle things.† â€Å"No, it was my fault. I knew how you felt about getting serious, and I still kissed you.† â€Å"I did as much kissing as you. That wasn't the problem. Me freaking out was the problem. I was drunk and stupid. I shouldn't have done that to you.† â€Å"It's no problem. Really. I'm just glad you're okay.† A faint smile glimmered on his handsome features, and I remembered Seth saying I was easy to forgive. â€Å"Look, since we both feel we're at fault, maybe we can make it up to each other. Go out sometime this week and – â€Å" â€Å"No.† The calm certainty in my voice startled both of us. â€Å"Georgina – â€Å" â€Å"No. Roman, we aren't going out anymore†¦ and I don't think we can really pull off friends either.† I swallowed. â€Å"It'd be better if we just make a clean break – â€Å" â€Å"Georgina,† he exclaimed, eyes widening. â€Å"You can't be serious. You and I – â€Å" â€Å"I know. I know. But I can't do this. Not now.† â€Å"You're breaking up with me.† â€Å"Well, we weren't ever really going out†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What happened to you?† he demanded. â€Å"What happened to you at some point in your life that made you so terrified of getting close to another person? What makes you run like this? Who hurt you?† â€Å"Look, it's complicated. And it doesn't matter. That past is gone, remember? I just can't do this with you now, okay?† â€Å"Is there someone else? Doug? Or Seth?† â€Å"No! There's no one. I just can't be with you.† We went around and around, rephrasing the same points in different ways, our emotions growing and growing. It felt like forever, but really only a few minutes passed as he pressed and I refused. He never turned angry or pushy, but his dismay was clearly apparent, and I felt certain I'd cry as soon as he left. Finally, glancing at the time, he ran a hand ruefully through his dark hair, turquoise eyes luminous with regret. â€Å"I have to go. I want to talk to you more – â€Å" â€Å"No. I don't think we should. It's better. I've really liked being with you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He laughed harshly, walking toward the door. â€Å"Don't say that. Don't sugar coat things.† â€Å"Roman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I felt horrible. Anger and grief were written all over his face. â€Å"Please understand – â€Å" â€Å"See you around, Georgina. Or maybe not.† He had barely slammed the door when tears spilled down my cheeks. Going to my bedroom, I lay down on my bed, ready for a good cry that never came. No more tears issued forth, in spite of my mixed feelings of despair and relief. Part of me wanted to call Roman back right now, make him return to me; the other part coolly warned I now had clear reason to cut Seth off as soon as possible before things escalated. Good Lord, why did it seem I was always hurting people I cared about? What was it about me that made me repeat this cycle over and over? Roman's devastated face still hovered in my mind, but I took comfort in the fact that he hadn't been traumatized as much as Kyriakos. Not nearly as much. The discovery of my affair with Ariston had led to condemnation from both our families and an impending divorce coupled with the loss of my dowry. I think I might have been able to handle that scorn, even the hateful looks. What I could not handle was the way Kyriakos had been stripped of all life and caring. I almost wished he would turn angry and lash out at me, but there was nothing like that within him. Nothing at all. I had destroyed him. After several days of separation, I found him sitting on one of the rocky outcroppings overlooking the water. I tried to engage him in conversation a number of times, but he wasn't responding to any of it. He would only stare out at that expanse of blue, face dead and expressionless. I stood by him, my own emotions writhing inside me. I had reveled in being a forbidden object of desire with Ariston, but I also wanted to be one of love with Kyriakos. I couldn't have it both ways apparently. I reached out to wipe the tears from his cheeks, and he slapped my hand away. It was the closest he had ever come to hitting me. â€Å"Don't,† he warned, leaping up. â€Å"Don't ever touch me again. You sicken me.† I felt my own tears now, even if his anger meant he was still alive. â€Å"Please†¦ it was a mistake. I don't know what happened.† He laughed hollowly, a terrible, mirthless sound. â€Å"Don't you? You seemed to know perfectly well at the time. So did he.† â€Å"It was a mistake.† He turned his back to me and walked over to the edge of the cliff, staring out at the sea. He spread his arms out and tipped his head back, letting the wind blow over him. Gulls cried nearby. † Wh-what are you doing?† â€Å"I am flying,† he told me. â€Å"If I keep flying†¦ right over this edge, I will be happy again. Or better yet, I won't feel anything at all. I won't think about you anymore. I won't think about your face or your eyes or the way you smile or the way you smell. I won't love you anymore. I won't hurt anymore.† I approached him, half-afraid my presence would make him go over. â€Å"Stop it. You're scaring me. You don't mean any of this.† â€Å"Don't I?† He looked at me, and there was no more anger or cynicism. Only grief. Sorrow. Despair. Depression blacker than a moonless night. It was terrible and frightening. I wanted him to snap at me again, to yell at me. I would have even let him hit me, if only to see some sort of heat in him. There was none of that, though. Only darkness. He gave me a sad, bleak smile. The smile of one already dead. â€Å"I will never forgive you.† â€Å"Please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You were my life, Letha†¦ but no more. No more. I have no life now.† He walked away, and even as my heart broke, I exhaled in relief to see him moving away from the cliff. I wanted to run after him but gave him his space instead. Sitting down in his spot, I drew my knees up and buried my face in them, half wishing I was dead. â€Å"He'll come back here, you know,† a voice suddenly said behind me. â€Å"The pull is too strong. And next time, he may go over.† I jerked my head up, startled. I hadn't heard anyone approach. I didn't recognize the man who now stood there, odd in a town where everyone knew everyone else. He was slim and well-groomed, dressed in clothes more elegant than I usually saw around here. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"They call me Niphon,† he said with a small bow. â€Å"And you are Letha, Marthanes ‘ daughter, formerly wife of Kyriakos.† â€Å"I still am his wife.† â€Å"But not for long.† I turned my face away. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"I want to help you, Letha. I'd like to help you with this mess you've gotten yourself into.† â€Å"No one can help me. Not unless you can undo the past.† â€Å"No. No one can undo the past. I can make people forget it, though.† I slowly turned back to him, assessing his bright eyes and dapper manner. â€Å"Stop joking. I'm not in the mood.† â€Å"I assure you, I am most earnest.† Staring at him, I suddenly somehow knew he was telling the truth, as impossible as it was to believe. Later I would learn that Niphon was an imp, but at the time, I had only sensed that he had a strange air about him, the whispering of power that promised he really could do what he said. â€Å"How?† His eyes gleamed, not unlike Hugh's when he was on the edge of a major deal. â€Å"To erase the memory of what you've done is no small feat. It carries a price.† â€Å"Can you make me forget too?† â€Å"No. But I can make everyone else forget. Your family, your friends, the town. Him.† â€Å"I don't know†¦ I don't think I could go back to them then. Even if they didn't remember, I still would. I couldn't face Kyriakos like that. Unless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated, wondering if it might not be better never to come in contact with them again. â€Å"Can you make them forget me altogether? Make it like I've never been born?† Niphondrew a sharp, excited breath. â€Å"Yes, oh yes. But a favor like that†¦ a favor like that carries an even higher price†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He'd explained it to me then, what I'd have to give in return to completely blot me from the minds of those I'd known. My soul was a given. I'd carry it as long as I walked the earth, but it would have a lease on it, so to speak. That was the standard price for any hellish deal. But hell wanted more of me: my eternal service in the corruption of souls. I would spend the rest of my days seducing men, fulfilling their fantasies for my own gain and for those whom I served. It was an ironic fate, considering what had brought me to this point. To aid me, I'd gain the ability to take any form I chose, as well as the power to enhance my own charm. And of course, I'd have eternal life. Immortality and invulnerability. For some, that might have been benefit alone. â€Å"You'd be good. One of the best. I can sense it within you.† Imps had the ability to look into a person's soul and nature. â€Å"Most people think desire is only in the body, but it's here too.† He touched my forehead. â€Å"And you would never die. You would stay young and beautiful forever, until the earth perishes.† â€Å"And after that?† He smiled. â€Å"That's a long way off, Letha, whereas your husband's life is at stake now.† That had been what sold me. The knowledge that I could save Kyriakos and give him a new life, a life free of me where he would have a chance to be happy once more. A life where I could slink away from my disgrace and maybe even be rightfully punished. My soul – which I barely understood anyway – seemed a small price. I'd agreed to the bargain, first shaking on it, then putting my mark on paperwork I couldn't read. Niphon left me, and I returned to town. It was eerily simple. When I returned, it was exactly as he had promised. The wish had already been carried out. No one knew me. Passing people – people I'd known my entire life – gave me the glances reserved for strangers. My own sisters walked by me without recognition. I wanted to find Kyriakos, to see if it was the same for him, but I couldn't muster the courage. I didn't want him to see my face, not ever again, even if he didn't recognize it. So I spent the day wandering, trying to accept the fact that I was gone to these people. It was harder than I thought it would be. And sadder. When nightfall came, I retreated again to the outskirts of town. I had nowhere to stay, after all. No family or friends. Instead, I sat in the dark, watching the moon and stars, wondering what I was supposed to do now. The answer came quickly. She rose almost from the ground, at first appearing as nothing more than a shadow, then gradually coalescing into the shape of a woman. The air vibrated with power around her, and suddenly I felt suffocated. I backed up, terror filling every part of me, my lungs unable to take in air. Wind rose from nowhere, whipping my hair and flattening the grass around me. Then, she stood before me, and the night was still again. Lilith. Queen of the Succubi. Lady of the Night. The First Woman. Fear like I had never known swept over me – and lust. I had never been attracted to a woman before, but Lilith has that effect on everyone. It is fixed in her being. No one can resist her. She wore a tall, slim shape that night, willowy and lovely. Her skin was the pale white of the aristocracy of that time – a white never achieved by those of us who worked outside regularly. Her hair was a raven's wing of black, falling in gleaming waves to her ankles. And her eyes†¦ well, let me just say there's a reason the old myths call succubi â€Å"flame-eyed.† Her eyes were beautiful and deadly, promising anything you could ever want or desire if only you would let her help you. I still can't remember what color they were, but I could not look away from them that night. â€Å"Letha,† she crooned, approaching me. The air shimmered around her, and I actually trembled now from my desire. I wanted to run but instead sank to my knees, both from respect and the inability to stand. She came to me and tipped my chin so that I had to look in those eyes again. Sharp, black nails dug painfully into my skin, and it felt wonderful. â€Å"You will be my own daughter now, spreading discord and passion for the rest of your days. You will be both punisher and tester, a creature of both dreams and nightmares. Mortals will do anything for you, just for a touch. You will be loved and desired until the earth is dust.† I whimpered at her proximity, and then she moved closer still, lifting me up so I stood before her. Those glorious lips came to mine, and that kiss shot orgasmic pleasure through my body. My cries were lost, smothered in that kiss. I closed my eyes, unable to look at her and unable to break away. I soaked into that ecstasy pulsing over and over in my body. And yet, as I let that bliss consume me, something else happened too. My mortality was being stripped away. It felt like disintegrating, like I had become ashes in the wind. I wondered if that was how death felt. Like you were nothing. Gone. Then, just as quickly, I was put back together, myself once more. But I could feel the power burning through me now, different from the life that filled humans. My immortality shone like a star in the night, cold and pure. No longer would old age threaten. No longer would sickness haunt me. No longer would my flesh be passionately driven by the knowledge that time was short, that I had to leave my mark on the world. That I had to pass on my blood. I opened my eyes, and the onslaught of pleasure disappeared. So did Lilith. I stood alone in the darkness, quivering with my newfound power. And with that power, I could feel something more: an itch in my flesh. An itch that told me my skin could become anything I wanted it to be with only a thought. I was reborn. I was empowered. And I was hungry†¦ â€Å"What's wrong?† Blinking back tears, I looked up at Carter. He stood in the doorway to my bedroom, pushing a lock of hair out of his eyes, face concerned. â€Å"Nothing,† I muttered, burying my face in my pillow. â€Å"No nephilim ?† â€Å"No nephilim.† An awkward pause followed. â€Å"Look†¦ are you sure you're okay? Because you don't look okay.† â€Å"I'm fine. Didn't you hear me?† He still wouldn't give up, though. â€Å"I know we're not that close, but if you need to talk – â€Å" â€Å"Like you'd understand,† I scoffed, venom in my voice. â€Å"You've never had a heart. You don't know what it's like, so don't even pretend like you do.† â€Å"Georgina.† â€Å"Go. Away. Please.† I turned back toward my pillow, waiting for another protest, but none came. When I dared a peek, the angel was gone.